Get Out
by Oneshot Agency
Summary: He has faced monsters, gods, Giants, Titans, and any other horrors the Fates could throw at him. For him, it's just another day at work. A cramped, crowded restaurant in the middle of New York City shouldn't scare him. But he can't breathe and he has to get out. TW for anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks. One-shot.


**TW for anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks.**

/

Percy thought he had pretty good control over his emotions.

Despite all of the trauma he had experienced and seen over his first seventeen years on this planet, he would say he was doing pretty good up to the Giant War. The support of his mom, Annabeth, and his fellow campers made coping easier for him. He shared that trauma with them, allowing for meaningful and emotional conversations that kept Percy's mental state in a good place.

The Titan War was a team war. Everyone was basically fighting the same battle, against the same enemies, at the same location. Sure, Percy had to do a few extra things like bathe in the River Styx, but nothing extraordinary.

Percy felt he could rely on everyone within his team. They all grieved over fallen ones together. They talked to each other through their nightmares because they were all experiencing similar terrors in their sleep. They understood what could be potential triggers for most people and avoided them.

Everyone understood each other which kept Percy at ease.

That is what made the Giant War so difficult to cope with.

Only six other people knew exactly what they went through.

Only one other person understood what it was like to lose all of your memories.

No one understood his fear of drowning in the place he was supposed to be his strongest.

Only one other person knew what it was like to fall, watching what he thought was the last bit of sunlight he was going to see, slowly fading away into darkness.

Only two other people knew what the hell of Tartarus looks like.

Only one other person had seen the hell of when Percy's emotions do get the best of him.

The Giant War was an individual war.

Everyone in the seven was fighting their own battles within a war. If they couldn't win their battles, then everyone could die in the war.

Only six other people understood that.

And three of them were across the county.

It was a lonely realization that the people Percy depended on for years suddenly did not understand.

But, despite all this, Percy still felt in control.

He was still at Camp, he still had Annabeth by his side, and he was in a safe environment.

Until he wasn't.

Eventually, Percy had to go back to New York City, Annabeth had to go back to San Francisco, and Camp emptied.

Percy was ecstatic to see his mother and Paul. Their apartment was warm and cozy, smelling of blue cookies and blue candy.

Percy felt safe and comfortable, at home.

Then his mom suggested they go out to dinner to celebrate Percy's homecoming a few days after his return. It was a restaurant Sally and Paul had frequented when Percy was gone, when they could not find the energy to cook.

"You're going to love this place, Percy, they make excellent gnocchi," she had said.

This was the first place Percy should have spoken up. He felt uneasy going to an unknown place suddenly, but his mom looked so happy, he couldn't object.

_It'll be fine._

They grabbed their things and headed out, the restaurant within walking distance of the apartment.

Percy felt himself patting his pocket often, checking alleyways subconsciously as they walked. His mother was talking about her new book and Percy was only half-listening, his mind somewhere else. She nor Paul seemed to notice.

They arrived at the restaurant. It was a small, narrow building, as were most places in the city. Despite this, Percy could see many people inside the building.

He felt his throat tightened as he took in the small, crowded environment.

This is the second place he should have spoken up.

He followed his mom and Paul into the restaurant without a word.

Paul greeted the receptionist by name, proving their frequency at the restaurant in just a few words.

She led them towards the back of the restaurant, to a table in the very back corner of the restaurant. It was by the kitchen.

"This is where we usually sit. It's the quietest spot here," Paul explained.

They all sat down around the square table, leaving the spot near the wall open. Percy was facing the wall, leaving his back vulnerable. The lights were dim, making it hard to see as his eyes adjusted.

Percy couldn't see the entrance. He couldn't see if any suspicious beings walked into the restaurant. He couldn't see any exit. They wouldn't be able to easily escape if a battle suddenly broke out. He could hear knives and pots banging against each other from the kitchen. It sounded like swords and shields in the midst of battle.

It was becoming hard to breathe.

This is the third place he should have spoken up.

_I'm fine._

He took a deep breath and slightly coughed to clear his throat, with minimal success.

A waitress came around. Percy didn't hear her, but he heard his mom say "Pinot grigio" so when the waitress looked at him, he simply said, "Water, please."

Water would help.

Paul started talking about the school year and what he was teaching in his classes.

Percy started to twirl Riptide (pen form) in his fingers below the table. The weight on his chest lessened slightly. He started to listen to Paul's words when he heard his name.

"Yeah, Percy, we're going to have to visit the high school soon so we can make sure you graduate on time. You'll have to get back into the classroom soon."

Percy imagined being stuck in a small classroom, surrounded by whispers as people asked where he has been for the past eight months.

His chest tightened and he found it hard to speak as he choked out, "Yeah, I guess we can talk about that later."

His mom gave him a concerned look, but she started talking about events in the apartment building that Percy had missed.

"Percy, you remember that nice couple two doors down from us? Well, a couple months ago they told us they're pregnant with a little girl! I told them you might be able to help babysit if you have time." She continued on about gifting the couple various baby items and clothes to help them out.

Waiters and waitresses continued to pass behind Percy as they headed in and out of the kitchen. His senses couldn't keep up with their movements. He occasionally bumped, causing him to jump slightly in his seat. His head was on a swivel as he was constantly checking over his shoulder.

His mom continued to talk. Percy was nodding as she talked, actually starting to get into the conversation as it drove his thoughts away from memories. He imagined starting a family with Annabeth and he felt a warm feeling through his chest.

_I'm fine._

Then, a knife dropped loudly in the kitchen. There was a yell of pain as if someone cut themselves. A waiter roughly bumped his shoulder, apologizing as he went by.

Percy flinched and his heart raced. He has heard the sound countless times when fighting. He suddenly felt the heat from the kitchen.

_Has it always been this hot?_

"Percy?" his mom said gently.

His head snapped towards her too fast.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Paul also looked concerned.

This was the fourth time he could have spoken up.

He was struggling to take a deep breath. He felt his eyes water.

And he was going to say something.

But then a hand suddenly reached over his right shoulder.

He tracked the hand as it entered his peripheral. It was a human hand, but that didn't mean much to Percy nowadays.

He registered too late that in the hand was a cold glass of water.

Percy leaped left out of his seat and to his feet, his pen in his hand. His sudden movements had caused the chair he was sitting in the fall over, hitting the waitress and causing her to drop the glass. It shattered when it hit the floor.

Percy flinched again at the loud sound.

The sound of knives and pans from the kitchen suddenly became louder. The heat made his face burn. He couldn't tell if he was crying or not because his face had gone numb.

"Percy!" his mother cried out in concern. She was trying to rise out of her chair, but her tight spot against the wall was slowing her down.

Wall.

They were in the corner.

There was no exit.

His throat tightened.

He was trapped.

He had to leave.

_Right now._

Paul was already trying to help the poor waitress clean up the glass and spilled water near his feet.

Percy's eyes were dancing around the room as he looked for a nonexistent threat.

"I-I'm sorry," he sputtered out. "I'll-I'll be outside."

_Get out._

Percy turned and headed to the entrance. He heard his mom call his name again behind him.

_Get out!_

He shoved by a waiter who was passing out food. The waiter managed to not drop the plate but he yelled at Percy as he rushed by. Percy didn't hear him.

His face was red, his eyes wide and wild, his chest heaving.

He finally saw the entrance.

_GET OUT._

Percy pushed through a group of people waiting to be seated and burst out the door to the busy streets of New York.

The shock of the cold air in his lungs and cold rain against his face overwhelmed his senses for a moment. He gasped in fresh, cold air.

A passerby gave him a strange look and a wide berth as he walked by.

_Too many people. Not safe._

He could only hear his thoughts. His chest continued to pound like he had just been chased by a hellhound for a mile. His head felt like it was floating. He couldn't focus his eyes on a single target. He couldn't feel his feet or hands. The sounds around him dulled to a rumble that his mind couldn't process.

One sound broke through the rest.

"_Percy_!"

His mom had finally managed to catch up to him.

If he wasn't crying before, he definitely was now that he saw his mom's sad face as she looked at him. The rain covered up his tears.

He couldn't imagine what she was thinking. She was so happy to finally get her boy back after months of worry. Only the boy who left her all those months ago wasn't the same boy who returned to her.

And now, she was finally seeing that.

She didn't come closer to him, for which he was grateful. He didn't know how his body would react to close contact right now.

"We'll meet you at home after we get all of this cleaned up-" she gestured behind her, "You'll be okay?"

Percy nodded, silently thanking her for her trust.

He didn't need to be babied. He didn't need someone constantly watching him.

He only needed one thing.

One person.

And she was three thousand miles away.

He turned and started back to the apartment.

His head was still spinning, but being out of the tight confines of the restaurant was making it easier to breath. The chaos of New York City was familiar. The feeling his feet was coming back as he rushed through the crowds.

By the time he reached the apartment, his anxiety had slowly dissolved into embarrassment. And exhaustion. He felt like he had just fought a group of monsters. He had a deep pit in his stomach.

He needed to talk to Annabeth.

He went straight to his room and shut the door. Flopping on his bed, he pulled out his cell phone (which he rarely used) and dialed her number, fumbling multiple times as his fingers were still numb. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as the phone continued to ring.

One ring. Two. Three. Four.

Voicemail.

_Hi, this is Annabeth Chase. Sorry, I can't come to the phone right now. If urgent, please use another method to contact me. If not, please leave a mess-_

Percy hung up the phone, and stood to walk to his bathroom. He knew that if she didn't pick up her phone, she was probably in her house which meant he should Iris Message her.

He turned on the shower and tiredly used his powers to create a mist. His already churning stomach twisted painfully, making him nauseous. He threw a drachma he had in his pocket into the mist. Seeing it disappear, he asked to see Annabeth Chase.

The mist blurred for a second before a head of blond hair materialized, bent over a desk working furiously on what was likely drafts of temples for Camp Jupiter.

She paused after a second, realizing she had an audience. Her head rose, grey met green, and Percy felt a wave of relief wash over him, but the lump in his throat wouldn't go away.

A smile was her initial reaction. Then she saw his red face, watery eyes, and tired expression. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. Putting down her pencil, she stood and closed her bedroom door behind her before returning to her desk.

"What happened?" she asked gently. It wasn't the first time they had IMed each other like this, usually after a nightmare.

But this was different.

Percy took a shaky breath. He felt ashamed. Weak. He didn't want to admit to his girlfriend he just freaked out in public because he couldn't tell the difference between Tartarus and a restaurant.

"We were out to dinner a-and…" he started and trailed off, trying to process what occurred. "It was crowded, and loud, and… and I couldn't see the entrance or exit. Waiters kept bumping into my back, there were knives and pans clanging in the kitchen, and yelling-" he had started rambling, his heart rate picking back up as he recounted the story.

"Hey," she interrupted gently. "Stay with me. Take a breath."

It hurt her to see him like this, but it was their sad reality.

Percy took a deep breath.

"My senses were on overdrive. I mean, like, they usually are, b-but this was…"

Annabeth nodded. "I know, I understand."

"Then the waitress snuck up behind me and reached over my shoulder with a glass of water… All I saw was a hand reaching to my mom and Paul, and…"

"You thought they were in danger," Annabeth finished for him.

Percy rubbed his face tiredly. He cursed quietly to himself. He wanted to sleep, wake up tomorrow and pretend this never happened.

"What happened next?" she encouraged him to finish.

Percy shook his head. "I don't even know… Next thing I knew I was on my feet, Riptide was in hand, and I must have bumped the waitress because she dropped the glass and it shattered everywhere. I couldn't breathe so I just ran out."

Annabeth nodded, folding her hands in front of her. She had tears in her eyes.

His chest was starting to hurt. Was that from his racing heart or the embarrassment he was feeling?

"Sounds to me like you had a panic attack," she stated quietly. She leaned back in her chair. "I had one the other night."

Percy's head snapped up. "What?"

Annabeth nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Annabeth shrugged and sighed heavily. She twirled the pencil in her hand distractedly. She was in a faded camp shirt and sweatpants. "I don't know. It felt stupid. My dad started talking about going back to school and-"

"All you could think of was being stuck in a small classroom for hours with people who don't understand?" Percy finished.

"Yeah, I see Paul had that conversation with you too?"

He pursed his lips and shook his head. "He tried to. I changed the subject as best as I could, but I still had the panic attack a minute later anyway so it didn't really matter."

Annabeth let out a dry laugh. Rubbing her forehead, she shook her head slowly. "What the hell are we going to do?"

"Do you think they offer free demigod-counseling services at school?" he joked.

_Humor, the best coping mechanism of all._

Annabeth cracked a smile at his lame attempt. "Well, they specialize in daddy issues so I guess you're covered."

Percy let out a mock gasp. "Yeah, well, I don't think _anyone_ covers aunt issues, do they?"

Thunder rumbled in the distance in protest.

They laughed at their absurdity.

A comfortable silence came across them. Percy couldn't hear his thoughts for the first time in hours.

"We're going to be okay, though," she said softly. "It's going to suck and it will take time, but we're going to be okay."

Percy wanted nothing more to hold her in that moment, but seeing her beautiful face healthy and strong would have to do. He knew he probably looked like a love-sick goofball who had been staring for too long, but he did not care.

Because no matter what monsters they had to face in battle or in their own heads, they had each other.

/

**I just want to preface this with that everyone experiences anxiety and mental illness differently. This is based on my own experiences and what I feel during an anxiety/panic attack. Just because your experiences may be different does not make your mental illness invalid. Please seek professional help if you can, and if you do not have the means to, find a healthy outlet such as talking to a trusted person or writing about it. Therapy is the new, cool things kids are doing and it really does help, I promise. It'll take time and the right therapist, but it does help :)**

**I am back with this little short while I'm in between chapters of I'm Here: The Reboot. Check out that story if you haven't already. The next update will be TBD.**

**I wrote this story a little different. I wanted it to emulate how one's thoughts become when you become anxious. For me, they become short, quick, and choppy, not always complete. Things that happen around you don't really happen in detail because you can only focus on your thoughts. That's why the story is written the way it is. The ending is kinda bad and rushed, but my long weekend is over and I had to get this out. Hope you like it nonetheless.**

**Sorry for any errors, blah blah blah. See y'all later.**


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